Swift showed an interest in music at an early age, and she progressed quickly from roles in children’s theatre to her first appearance before a crowd of thousands. She was age 11 when she sang The Star-Spangled Banner before a Philadelphia 76ers basketball game, and the following year she picked up the guitar and began to write songs. Taking her inspiration from artists such as Shania Twain and the Dixie Chicks, Swift crafted original material that reflected her experiences of “tween” (preteen) alienation. When she was 13, Swift’s parents sold their farm in Pennsylvania to move to Hendersonville, Tenn., so that she could devote more of her time to courting country labels in nearby Nashville.

A development deal with RCA Records allowed Swift to make the acquaintance of recording-industry veterans, and in 2004, at age 14, she signed with Sony/ATV as a songwriter. At venues in the Nashville area, she performed many of the songs she had written, and it was at one such performance that she was noticed by record executive Scott Borchetta. Borchetta signed Swift to his fledgling Big Machine label, and her first single, Tim McGraw (inspired by and prominently referencing a song by Swift’s favourite country artist), was released in the summer of 2006.

The song was an immediate success, spending eight months on the Billboard country singles chart. Now age 16, Swift followed with a self-titled debut album, and she went on tour, opening for Rascal Flatts. Taylor Swift was certified platinum in 2007, having sold more than one million copies, and Swift continued a rigorous touring schedule, opening for artists such as George Strait, Kenny Chesney, Tim McGraw, and Faith Hill. That November Swift received the Horizon Award for best new artist from the Country Music Association (CMA), capping the year in which she emerged as country music’s most visible young star.

On Swift’s second album, Fearless (2008), she demonstrated a refined pop sensibility, managing to court the mainstream pop audience without losing sight of her country roots. Fearless opened at number one on the Billboard Top 200 chart and sold 592,000 copies in its first week. It ultimately spent more time atop the Billboard chart than had any album released in the previous 10 years. Singles such as White Horse and Love Story were popular in the digital market as well, the latter accounting for more than four million paid downloads.

In 2009 Swift embarked on her first tour as a headliner, playing to sold-out venues across North America. That year also saw Swift dominate the industry award circuit. Fearless was recognized as album of the year by the Academy of Country Music in April, and she topped the best female video category for You Belong with Me at the MTV Video Music Awards (VMAs) in September. During her VMA acceptance speech, Swift was interrupted by rapper Kanye West, who protested that the award should have gone to Beyoncé for what he called “one of the best videos of all time.” Later in the program, when Beyoncé was accepting the award for video of the year, she invited Swift onstage to conclude her speech, a move that drew a standing ovation for both performers. At the CMA Awards that November, Swift won all four categories in which she was nominated. Her recognition as CMA entertainer of the year made her the youngest-ever winner of that award, as well as the first female solo artist to win since 1999. She began 2010 with an impressive showing at the Grammy Awards, where she collected four honours, including best country song, best country album, and the top prize of album of the year. Later that year, Swift was named the new spokesperson for CoverGirl cosmetics.